A Father's Duty
by The Best of Luck
Summary: Stannis decides to take his daughter south during the Northern campaign and leave Lady Melisandre and his wife behind. A deeper look into the relationship between Stannis and Shireen, along with a rewrite (sort-of) of season 5. Spoiler Alert: There is no burning of Shireen. Can also be read on AO3. Don't mind the name difference, same person.
1. STANNIS I

Stannis found himself standing alone at the edge of the Wall, brooding where he had just won a great battle. The great green forest beyond, burned in the greatest fire the North had ever seen.

"You know, Your Grace, I've never been this far north, but it's a beautiful sight," Ser Davos huffed, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "That man Mance was right. We're not dressed for this weather."

 _The man who refuses to bend the knee to the rightful king._ He had to admire Mance Rayder though. He was a man who stuck to his principles even when it would get him killed. Much like Ned Stark. _An honorable man._

Stannis would have Mance burned, as a reminder who was King of the Seven Kingdoms. _The Red Priestess told me of king's blood. Mance is a king, a false one, but a king nonetheless._ His blood was powerful and so was the blood of his son. He had faced this dilemma before.

 _What's one child against a kingdom?_ Davos had disobeyed him, sending Edric Storm to Essos. He would have put Davos head beneath a headsman's ax, but he didn't. For everything, Davos had taught him one thing, what Stannis had taught his onion knight all those years before.

 _Go on, do your duty._ His duty was to the realm. He had sought to win the throne in order to save the kingdoms when he should be trying to save the kingdoms in order to win the throne. His duty was to win back the North, to reclaim it from the traitors who had plunged their daggers into Robb Stark's heart. To win it back from the ironborn invaders.

"Your Grace," and he turned, Melisandre, that damned sorceress who was both his greatest weapon and his greatest weakness. "The Bastard of Winterfell."

Jon Snow was a brooding man, much like Stannis himself. His black cloak signified his allegiance to the Night's Watch, but the pommel on his sword was a stone direwolf, to remind him of his Stark origin. _A bastard but more Stark than any trueborn son of Ned Stark's._ He had seen him once before, at a festival celebrating the defeat of the Greyjoy Rebellion. A sullen and sulking child of ten.

A bastard who was the last living son of Ned Stark. A bastard who could give him the North.

The bastard knelt. At least Jon Snow knew who the rightful king of Westeros was and did his duty. _No doubt he will spurn my offer. But I must make it._ He waited a few moments before he signaled for Jon to rise, who did. Taking a few steps closer to Jon, he spoke.

"Do you know who rules at Winterfell now?" he asked and Jon Snow grimaced. His face showed pain, anger, and hatred. _Good._

"Roose Bolton."

The answer was lined with a silent and cold fury, much like the Starks themselves. Too bad that fury had been snuffed out.

"The traitor who plunged his dagger into Robb Stark's heart. Do you want to avenge him?"

Jon kept his face neutral and Stannis knew how much self-control that took. He had wanted vengeance for his brother as well, for what little love he had for him. A duty to avenge his brother, who was made a motley fool by the Lannister woman who had made fools out of all of them.

"I want a great many things, Your Grace. But I am a sworn brother of the Night's Watch. We don't take part in the politics of the realm."

 _A stubborn man. Reminds me of his father. And myself._ Stannis allowed a ghost of a smile to appear on his face before he promptly squashed it like a bug. Davos was far better at speaking to people than he had ever been, but he never used honeyed words. A common man raised to a knighthood and then to Hand of the King. _A good act does not wash out the bad nor the bad the good._ A saying his father had said to him long ago.

A saying that had been applicable to his actions. _Renly. King's Landing. Ser Axell._ Burnings, repudiations of faith from the Gods he no longer worshipped, and the death of his younger brother. _My hands are clean._ His conscience wasn't.

Ser Davos spoke, his Flea's Bottom accent never going away. A common reminder of his origin and how Stannis felt about the aristocracy.

"I've been talking to your sworn brothers. Many of them love you."

That seemed to please Jon Snow. "They're good men."

"Many of them don't."

Jon Snow's small smile turned into a frown. Stannis knew the fickleness of loyalty. _I held Storm's End against the might of the Reach for an entire year and won the Greyjoy Rebellion for Robert. And yet the Stormlands still raised my brother as king._ Many saw Jon Snow as a hero for taking command of the Wall's defenses after Ser Alliser Thorne's injuries.

Many saw him as a traitor for taking a wildling girl into bed when he was with said wildings. Many didn't know what to think.

"You were seen taking a wildling girl's body north of the Wall. Why?" Ser Davos pressed and Jon Snow was quiet, his mind turning.

"It's where she belonged."

"Some in the Night's Watch feel you have too much affection for the wildlings."

 _Just as many feel that I have too much affection for Lady Melisandre._ That was true. He did, more than he had for his own wife. _I sullied my oaths of love and marriage just like you sullied yours to take no wife, Lord Snow._

"They were born on the wrong side of the wall. Doesn't make them monsters."

No. It did not. The wildlings were people as well and were against the only enemy that mattered. _Demons. Made of ice and death. They march on the Wall._ But first, the business of dealing with Roose Bolton and his ilk.

"No matter. I will take back the North from the thieves who stole it," Stannis declared. It didn't matter that Robb Stark had tried to steal half of his kingdom. He was dead. So was the dream of an independent North. "Tywin Lannister is dead, he can't protect them now. I will mount Roose Bolton's head on a spike. But if I'm to take Winterfell, I will need more men."

And there laid the problem. Stannis had ample cavalry and a strong fleet. But he lacked _soldiers._ Infantrymen and archers. He had four thousand men, most of them Stormlanders and the few remaining houses of the Narrow Sea. _Velaryon. Bar Emmon._ Roose Bolton could call upon his own men, who had done little fighting in the south, along with the Karstarks and the Dustins.

The major houses - _Manderly, Mormont, Umber, Glover-_ were unaligned. Deepwood Motte was still under control of the ironborn. But there was one source of men that was available to him then and now.

"The men of the Night's Watch are sworn to take no-"

Stannis harshly interrupted him.

"I'm not talking about the damned Night's Watch. I'm talking about the wildlings."

That left Jon Snow speechless. Stannis took some pleasure in leaving the sullen bastard silent and he walked past him, the snow drifting onto his cape. It was cold, too damn cold in the North. He wondered if he had grown up here would he even be colder and more distant than he already was?

"Your Grace," Jon Snow said, flabbergasted. He had marched and cut off Stannis from walking to the cage that brought people and supplies up and down on the Wall. "You want the wildings to march in your army?"

"If they swear to follow me, I'll pardon them. Once we take Winterfell and the North is won, I'll declare them citizens of the realm. I'll give them land to live on."

 _Pardon, forgive, but never forget._ The wildlings were fierce fighters, invaders, and raiders. But the true enemy, the only one that mattered, lingered in their lands and he needed all the warriors he could get. Bolton was a menace, that was true, but he was just that. A menace. He could deal with menaces.

Not with the undead.

"It's a fair deal," Ser Davos backed him, as he always did. "More than fair."

"I offer them their lives and their freedom. If Mance kneels before me and swears his loyalty."

"I don't think that's likely."

Stannis grinded his teeth before moving past Jon Snow towards the cage. Snow kept up with him, disbelief wide in his eyes and movement.

"You admire him don't you?" Stannis accused and Jon Snow didn't deny it.

"I respect him."

"Convince him to bend the knee."

Jon tried to protest. "Your Grace-"

"Or he burns."

He then walked past Snow again, this time without the bastard son of Ned Stark blocking his way. Lady Melisandre stayed where she was, her eyes twinkling with amusement at the whole ordeal. _Damned eyes._ Ser Davos looked with understanding eyes at Jon Snow's plight.

"How much time do I have?" Jon yelled after he had left.

"Nightfall," Stannis answered, descending down the cage. "The sun drops fast this time of year. Hurry Jon Snow."

Would Mance bend the knee? Not likely. But the man was smart and maybe he would see reason. After all, Jon Snow admired him and Mance had stopped the fighting. _My people have bled enough._ Maybe he wouldn't have to be burned. Just maybe.

Mance Rayder made the dumbest decision a smart man like him could make. Instead of bending the knee and fighting in his army, the King Beyond the Wall had spurned his offer. Sometimes he wondered if Robert made the offer, the once brother of the Night's Watch would have taken it.

 _I will offer one more chance to bend the knee and serve me._

Night had fallen and the men were gathering in the courtyard of Castle Black. Many brothers of the Night's Watch, the few remaining elders of the wildlings who hadn't escaped his men, and even that wildling princess. She was comely and as fierce as they come. His own men, the prancing stag surrounded by flames. The black cloaks and he saw his wife as well.

"She's already killed one of our men and castrated another," one of his knights had complained to him just before the burning.

"They deserved it," Stannis had simply replied. He had responded to his men trying to 'steal' this woman by posting two of his most trustworthy knights, which meant he sent men that weren't complete dunces. Ser Richard Horpe, who was more concerned with killing than women, and Ser Godry Farring the 'Giantslayer' who was too busy trying to regale the beautiful Val by boasting of killing a giant than to attempt anything.

 _The giant was running away, you twat._ He put aside his thoughts as the torches flickered. The place where Mance was to be burned was ready, right in the middle of the courtyard for all to see. Snow had talked to the man but had not told Stannis if he would bend the knee or not.

The surrounding torches gave him light, seeing Mance walk down the steps from his place of captivity. His men were behind him, guiding him to his final destination. His posture was proudful, filled with defiance. Stannis could see why Jon Snow admired the man.

Lady Melisandre was gazing into the flames, her eyes dancing. Stannis felt that she was always at home with fire more than anything else. _Burnings of men and false Gods._ Did he believe in the Lord of Light and that he was Azor Ahai? Sometimes, in his dreams, he wielded Lightbringer and he would face the Great Other and win. Others he died on the Wall. Forgotten.

All he knew was that her faith gave her power, more power than the Seven ever granted. She had birthed a shadow which had killed Renly and Ser Cortnay Penrose. _I dream and my hands are filled with blood. I wake and my hands are clean._ But they never were truly clean of his brother's murder.

The chains rattled. Stannis glanced up to see Mance Rayder slowly approaching him, the wildling king taking in the sight of the flames that would soon engulf the imprisoned leader if he did not bend the knee to Stannis. The chains and the man stopped and Stannis smirked slightly.

 _Bend the knee or not, he is admirable._ But Westeros only had one king. And his name was Stannis Baratheon.

"Mance Rayder, you have been called King Beyond the Wall. Westeros only has one king. Bend the knee and I promise you mercy."

And if Mance did bend the knee, he would do more than that. He would have given the wildlings the Gift to settle and make Mance the head of a new house. _House Rayder._ But more likely than not, the man would refuse and he would go to the flames.

Mance's eyes wandered to the widling leaders behind Stannis. They were filled with uncertainty and a war began to rage. Should he bend the knee and shred his pride and honor, or refuse and stick to his principles? Stannis had once asked that question before as well.

 _Blood or honor._ When Robert had rebelled and Stannis had to truly wonder...should he honor his oath to King Aerys? Every man, woman, and child owed the king their loyalty and leal service, but there are older and deeper laws. _The younger bows before the elder._ Laws that Renly had broken.

 _Men fought for Robb Stark and believed he was King in the North. Men fought for Joffrey and believed him the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms. But men fought for Renly knew he had no claim to the throne._

"Kneel and live."

 _Avoid the fate of Renly. Ser Cortnay. Robb Stark._ The man they called the King Beyond the Wall proved to be as stubborn as Lord Snow. To be as honorable as Ned Stark.

"This is was my home once. I spent many years here before I went beyond the wall on a ranging. I was attacked by wildlife and left for dead by my brothers, but a Free Folk woman nursed me back to life and fixed my black cloak with colors. It was so beautiful that cloak, with the colors of the rainbow. It reminded me of life itself, a life I couldn't have," Mance Rayder said with a sad gleam in his eyes. "When I came back from beyond the wall, Ser Denys Mallister told me to get rid of the cloak. That's when I abandoned my oath to the night's Watch."

Stannis began to grind his teeth. He didn't want to hear a story about how a man had abdicated in his duty to the realm. Who had so carelessly thrown away his oaths as if they were scraps off Robert's plate. He admired Mance and could see how Lord Snow had abandoned his oath to the Night's Watch when he had relations with that young wildling girl.

The one that he had burned.

"You sullied your oaths to the realm and tried to invade with an army," Stannis pointed out. "You will die if you do not bend the knee."

"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come _King_ Stannis. You will need it, especially in the North. They may not be the free folk, but they are fierce and independent in their own right."

Stannis knew he had made his decision. He nodded and Ser Corliss Penny and Ser Clayton Suggs roughly took both of Mance's arms towards the pyre. There, he would burn. He looked past them and saw Lady Melisandre. The fires were bringing warmth into her heart he knew. _Let him burn._

"We all must choose. Men and women, young and old, we all have a choice. We choose light or we choose darkness," Lady Melisandre began, her voice a serenade for the flames. He stole a glance at his wife and daughter. Selyse was basking in the flames and in the heat, her eyes closed. But he saw how frightened Shireen was. _Her eyes are afraid._ "We choose good or we choose evil. We choose the true God or the false."

She then took the torch from a Dragonstone men at arms and approached the pyre. Stannis's eyes met Mance's own. His eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty, but the knowledge that he was going to die.

"Free folk. There is only true king," The damned sorceress lit the pyre in two different locations, the farthest she could from Mance. She turned to the gathered crowd, her eyes reflected in the torch's light. "And his name is Stannis Baratheon. Not this king of lies. Behold those who choose the darkness."

 _Not a liar, truth be told. An oath-breaker, but I sullied my wedding oaths with you,_ Stannis thought darkly. _And he didn't choose the darkness. He chose his freedoms and that damned honor, as little honor an oathbreaker like me and him have, and he will die for that freedom._

The fires began to spread, quicker than Stannis thought it would. They were soon licking at the feet of the Mance and he could see that the man was beginning to panic. It was sometimes not that apparent, that something would not happen until it was already happening. He could see the wide smile that Lady Melisandre was currently wearing, while he continued to hold the mask of stoicism he was known for. _Burning is a horrible way to die. So is drowning at sea._ His father and mother knew that all too well.

What he could not see was Jon Snow's reaction. The bastard son of Ned Stark was nowhere to be seen, but his presence was soon felt. The flames were engulfing Mance Rayder, his screams echoing throughout the courtyard, when an arrow came slicing through the air and embedded itself in the would be king's heart. Mance looked down, his eyes filled with surprise, before they rolled back and he died.

Jon Snow's hand had a bow in it and he tossed it on the ground, walking away. Stannis could almost hear the relief coming from the wildling leaders and the madness coming from his wife. _When I march on Winterfell, I will not bring my wife. Lady Melisandre already made it clear she would stay here and face the evils beyond the Wall._

And he promised himself that he would not leave his daughter in the hands of his wife. She was his heir and the last living trueborn Baratheon besides himself. He would have to teach her to rule for she would one day sit upon the Iron Throne. He resolved himself to not allow his daughter, his sweet and innocent daughter, be lead to break her oaths or commit the evils he had to do.

She would learn her duty to the realm. And he would do his duty to her. A father's duty, a duty he had neglected in his duties to the realm. He whirled around, his cape following him, trailed by two of his knights. The body of the now dead wildling king continued to burn and so did Stannis's passion to end this war and face the only enemy that mattered.

* * *

AN: I really liked how Season 5 of Game of Thrones expanded the relationship between Stannis and Shireen in a way that the books haven't covered. I also didn't like how they basically gave Jon Snow Stannis's storyline and how Stannis didn't do anything like his book equivalent did. So we're gonna blend show and book together, throw out some parts that don't make sense, but really continue to explore and deepen the relationship between the two.

Scenes to come: Stannis's "I'm the world's best gruff dad" moment which will have expanded dialogue and more interactions, Stannis telling off Selyse, and him meeting Lyanna Mormont with Shireen and Ser Davos by his side. Also, the mountain clans. Apparently DD forgot that there's two thousand men in the mountains that Jon Snow could have gotten in season six, but whatever.

You can find this fic at Archives of Our Own as well under my name ej3467273.


	2. STANNIS II

Stannis was in the solar of the King's Tower, which he had taken command of when he had arrived at the Wall. It was a cold and daft place, which showed when his fingers started to shiver. He willed himself not to show weakness. He had sent ravens to the houses of the North, commanding them to be the knee to their rightful king. Shireen and Ser Davos were nearby, chattering about an 'adventure' the Onion Knight had before he became Stannis's leal and loyal man.

"Ser Davos, you will remember that during your adventures across the Narrow Sea, you were breaking the laws of Westeros and Volantis. Kindly look to your fingers before you put ideas of pirating into my daughter's head," Stannis said gruffly, not looking from the letter from Harald Karstark, the head of House Karstark. Some of the old leaders of the North, men such as the Greatjon Umber and Lord Rickard Stark were dead or imprisoned, replaced by their sons. This son was a fourth son it seemed, not destined to rule and it showed in his defiance to Stannis. _Same as that wretched girl from Bear Island._ "Shireen, you must remember to fulfill the laws, even for men such as Ser Davos. He's an honest man, but a man who broke the laws. Laws must be made of iron, not of pudding."

"If it makes any difference Your Grace, I was a smuggler, not a pirate. Pirates are famous. Smugglers aren't, as Salladhor Saan will tell you," Ser Davos rebutted and Stannis could see a giggle escape Shireen's throat. He frowned at them both.

"The only reason Saan's head isn't decorating the Wall is because we have need of his ships," Stannis reminded him roughly. "And because he is as slippery as Roose Bolton's morals when I was hunting him as Robert's Master of Ships."

"I have no doubt Your Grace. He told me many times of how you caught his fleet but he slipped away," Davos admitted, before sharing a grin with Shireen. Then his Hand of the King grew serious. "Jon Snow should be here any moment."

"Should I go father?" Shireen said hesitantly and for a brief moment, he wanted to send her away, but decided not to. She needed to learn how to rule. This would be one of her first lessons.

"No."

The fire was roaring the back when Jon Snow stepped in, Ser Suggs behind him. The rough knight was soon dismissed and he took his place outside of the king's solar. The boy bent the knee and rose. _At least he bends the knee, even if he is sworn to the Night's Watch. Hopefully he will bend the knee and rise a Stark, to give me the North._

But first, the business about Mance. Now, Stannis didn't mind that Jon Snow had put an arrow in the wildling king's heart. Burning was a bad way to die and it reminded him too much of drowning. But he had given an order and it was to be carried out. _A king's word is law._

"I ordered Mance Rayder to be burnt at the stake. You prevented that order from being carried out. You showed mercy to Mance Rayder, when mercy wasn't an option. A king's word, _my word,_ is law. Laws must be made of iron, Jon Snow, otherwise this country would dissolve into anarchy. You should ask Ser Davos about how I apply the law to lawbreakers," and Ser Davos stuck out his right hand, the finger joints missing. _One clean swing._ The man who passes the sentence swings the sword. A lesson Stannis had learned from Ser Davos and Ned Stark. "A good act does not wash out the bad nor the bad the good. Mance broke the laws, first by breaking his oath to the Night's Watch and then leading an army against the kingdoms. Now we have thousands of wildlings on this side of the Wall. Who are they going to follow? Who's going to feed them, clothe them, arm them for battle?"

"With respect Your Grace, the free folk will never follow you, no matter what you do. You're the man who burned their king alive," Jon Snow sadly conveyed and Stannis knew it. The wildlings followed strength but they also followed those they loved. And they loved Mance Rayder. He could see in their eyes, their actions, their postures. Who were they going to follow. Jon Snow?

"Who then?" he asked, grinding his teeth. "You?"

"No. Only one of their own. Tormund Giantsbane, Rattleshirt, the new Magnar, even Val..But none of them have the strength or the willpower to rally the remaining free folk on their own."

Jon Snow was a sullen bastard who showed mercy when there wasn't mercy to be shown. But he also knew the wildlings well. Stannis decided to switch the subject. He looked down at a piece of paper, the letter from that damned ten year old Mormont girl at Bear Island.

"Do you know this wretched girl?" he asked, grabbing the piece of paper and handed it to Jon. "Lyanna Mormont?"

"The Lord Commander's niece."

"Lady of Bear Island and a child of ten. I commanded her to commit her house to my cause, as it is the rightful duty of each Northern house. That's her response."

Jon Snow read," _Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK."_

The boy smiled and Stannis scowled. The boy dropped the smile.

"She's the only one who expresses her support for your house. Here's a letter from Lord Harald Karstark."

And he slid the boy another letter, which he read aloud.

" _The North belongs to the Boltons and the Lannisters. Fuck off."_

That did not bring a smile to Jon Snow's face. It brought a frown.

"That's the response of most of the North. Karstark, Dustin, though the Manderlys were much more courteous in their refusal. Lord Too-Fat-To-Sit-On-A-Horse talks about weddings and feasts, Mors Umber agrees if I send him the skull of Mance Rayder while his brother marches with the Boltons. The only house to pledge their allegiance is House Mazin. One hundred and forty fighting men, barely enough men to raid a pantry, let alone take on Bolton's army. I have two thousand men, and half of them want to burn the other half for being non-believers," Stannis revealed.

He had won a smashing victory against Mance Rayder, but he didn't have enough men to deal with the Boltons. Not nearly enough. Ser Justin Massey had been sent south, along with a few scouts, and would be back within a fortnight in order to tell him how many men Bolton had. The wildings they had captured would have added another five hundred or so, but they only followed one of their own.

 _Five thousand is my guess and with the Freys and most of the North, seven thousand or so men. More than three times my numbers._ They were all gathering in Winterfell. _But why? Why are they gathering in that burnt husk of a castle?_

"Your Grace, you have to realize that they are scared. Most of their young men went south and never came north again. Winter is coming and they simply want to reap their harvest and bunker down before the storms come."

 _That damned Stark saying._ But it was true. Winter was coming and soon the White Walkers would invade again, the Long Night reborn. The only enemy that mattered.

"I understand they are scared. But they pledged allegiance to the man who plunged a dagger into the king they all swore to obey and protect. They side with the house that broke guest rite and made weddings more perilous than the battlefield," Stannis scoffed. "You northerners have a saying. _The North Remembers._ That's a lie if there ever was one."

Davos gave him a sideways look and Stannis leaned back in his chair, allowing his Hand to take over. _He's not one for honeyed words. Never has been and never will be._ A new order, with one based on truth and honesty, instead of lies and deceit.

The real reason why Jon Snow was here. _Mormont remembers the Starks. But what of the rest of them?_ Jon Snow could deliver those who still remembered. Who still remembered their oaths to House Stark.

"The Night's Watch is holding the election for Lord Commander tonight, which Ser Alliser Thorne is going to win," Ser Davos started and Jon nodded in agreement.

"Most likely."

"An unpleasant man," Ser Davos commented, though Stannis could see certain parallels between the knight of the Night's Watch and Stannis himself. "He thinks you're a traitor. What's life going to be like with Thorne in command?"

"Unpleasant I expect."

Which was entirely unfair to Jon. He had done nothing but his duty to the realm, if his story was to be believed of how he rode with the wildlings under the direct order of the Halfhand before ultimately fleeing from them and warning Castle Black of their imminent attack. He had fought bravely when Ser Alliser had been wounded, taking over command and driving off the wildlings.

"Your bravery made him look weak. He'll punish you for it," and the long face Jon Snow was wearing told him that the boy expected exactly that to happen. "I don't punish men for bravery. I reward them."

 _Ser Davos. Bryen Farring. Ser Richard Horpe._ All men who had shown their bravery and had been aptly rewarded.

Jon Snow was hesitant, not knowing what to say. A part of his face slightly twitched.

"I don't doubt Your Grace. But I'm a brother's of the Night's Watch. I pledged them my life. I don't know what I can give you."

"You can give me the North. Some of it."

"I can't. Even if I wanted to, I'm a bastard. A Snow."

He could see the fear in Jon Snow's eyes, but also an anticipation. _Vengeance for your fallen family and the brother who tried to steal half my kingdom away. I'm offering you a life that you never thought possible._

"Bend the knee, pledge your allegiance to me, and you'll rise Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. You'll wed the wildling princess to join them to our cause."

"Your Grace, that's now how the free folk work-"

"I expect that you'll need some time to consider my offer. You have till the morrow. Either rise a Stark or forever remain a Snow, forced to live under the thumb of Ser Alliser Thorne, not knowing if this day will be your last. Forever distrusted by your brothers and one day you might find a knife in your back. Or multiple. Think wisely Jon Snow."

And with that, Ser Suggs came back inside and his presence told Jon that he had to go. The boy left, no doubt struggling to decide what to do. As the door slammed shut, Stannis turned to Shireen.

"You were a little too harsh on him father, if I may voice my opinion," Shireen observed and Stannis nodded. His daughter still had an innocent heart. It would need to be forged of iron, unbreakable and unbendable, if she was to rule.

"Maybe. But it is needed. We have few men, few provisions, and are facing a daunting task. We must never waver from it, otherwise we will be lost. But I suspect that Lord Snow will join us," he responded before leaning back. "It's not as if there's another Stark running around the North, hunting down unicorns with a massive direwolf."

Oh, how wrong he was.

* * *

 **AN:** Short update, but will be getting longer and longer. Also lookout for this story on Archives of our Own, under my account name ej3467273.

 **kingcanuck:** Thanks for the kind words! Badass Stannis is coming. The battle of Deepwood Motte is coming up soon, which will be given from 'Yara' Greyjoy's perspective.

 **komninosmichaelides: I don't like D &D either. **I'll reveal more as time goes by. We'll be seeing more of Farring and Horpe soon.


	3. STANNIS III

Jon Snow was the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

An unwelcome surprise, to say the least.

He had expected Ser Alliser to win handily, being the most experienced man in the entire Night's Watch, but the speech that young Samwell Tarly, the boy who was bedding that wildling girl Gilly, had given Snow the Lord Commandership.

Like he had said, a most unwelcome surprise. _He can still take my offer, but that damned Stark honor of his._ That was not a compliment or an insult. Honor had gotten Robb Stark killed if the rumors about him marrying a Westerlands girl he had bedded was true. Honor had gotten Ned Stark killed because the damned fool had told Cersei Lannister to flee with her children instead of outright arresting them.

Honor and blood had also compelled Ned Stark to rebel against the Mad King all those years ago. _Blood or honor._ Stark had chosen both. Stannis had chosen blood.

The North was chilling, no matter what time of day of it or the season. It was one of those maddening things about the North that he both appreciated and hated. The North was simple and harsh, much like the Stark name. Castle Black was in the midst of morning activity. The Lord Commander was giving a tour of the castle to that wildling girl. Behind them were Ser Richard and Ser Godry, the two grumbling along as the wildling girl, with wide hips, a full bosom, and braided honeycomb hair threw insults at them.

The wildling princess, as she had been known, had gutted another one of Stannis's men-at-arms when the idiot was seen trying to climb Hardin's Tower. Ser Godry had finished the job by running his sword through the man and boasting about how he had saved the princess from kidnapping. _Let him talk._

At least Val frustrated his wife. He had decided he would be leaving his wife and Lady Melisandre behind. It was not a decision he would make lightly. Half of the garrison of Castle Black were rapists and killers, men of ill-rebuke. He had to take Ser Richard and Ser Godry along for he would need every able-bodied soldier he had to fight the Boltons, but he was leaving behind fifty or so men to protect his wife and Lady Melisandre. Cripples, criminals, and the more devout who weren't able fighters.

However, he had the made another decision, one that was finally cemented, and he was taking his daughter with him. She would be more secure surrounded by an army and with the added benefit of not being under Selyse's thumb. He would assign Ser Justin Massey as her sworn shield and protector. While Ser Smiler was a dreamer, he was an excellent fighter and more importantly, _loyal._ Though he was a queen's man, as Ser Davos called them, he wasn't beholden the Lord of Light like Ser Corliss.

 _Just as soon as they come back from their scouting mission._ Two more days and then he would begin the preparations for the march on Winterfell.

He had scheduled a meeting with the Lord Commander at noon and it was fast approaching. Ser Davos was waiting for him by the blacksmith's quarters, blackened by fire and it hadn't been rebuilt since the Battle of Castle Black. It was a humble abode for a humble man.

"It's time Ser Davos," and his fingerless Hand of the King fell in behind him. _A humble man._

Olly, the Lord Commander's steward and a young man who had lost his parents to the wildling attack, opened the door for him and Ser Davos, stepping aside to let them in. He gave a slight bow and uttered 'Your Grace' but there was no warmth behind it. He didn't believe in Stannis's reign, but then again, he was a boy, much younger than the boy he served.

"Lord Commander," Stannis greeted as he and Ser Davos entered the building.

"Your Grace, thank you for coming," Jon Snow said as he stood up.

"We'd like to speak alone," Stannis said pointedly, his eyes on Olly. The gesture was clear; this was a conversation between him and the Lord Commander, not for the ears of a common steward who hadn't even taken his vows yet. The boy commander, of course, refused.

"Olly is my steward. As Lord Commander Mormont placed me as his steward, I want him to be at meetings to be taught by more experienced men. One day, he might command the Night's Watch and be the 999th Lord Commander," Jon Snow explained. Stannis ground his teeth but accepted it all the same.

"Have you considered my offer?" Stannis asked, not one to beat around the bush as he sat in a chair opposite the Lord Commander. He needed to know _now_ so that he could formulate his plan to march on Winterfell. He could possibly secure five hundred wildlings _if_ the bastard wedded Val...

"I have. And you do me great honor. All my life...I wanted to be Jon Stark," Jon Snow started. Stannis was not a man to get his hopes up, but he was getting his hopes up.

"Say the word and you'll be."

"But I have to refuse your offer. I'm the Lord Commander and my place is here."

 _Of course, that damned Stark honor._ Once again, admirable but foolhardy.

"I'm offering you a chance to avenge your family," Stannis argued, but he knew that it was all but moot. "To take back the castle where you grew up." A pause, to allow Stannis ample time to gather his words. "To rule the North."

"I wish I could fight beside you," _you can if you bend the knee instead of making excuses._ "But I swore a sacred vow in the Godswood." _Gods that didn't protect your father and brothers from being butchered like a pig by disloyal men. "_ I pledged my life to the Night's Watch."

 _You would rather wait for the dead marching instead of ruling the North and prepare._ Honor had gotten Lord Snow's father and brother killed. _Honor is as foreign to me as the seven now._ He had done dishonorable deeds in the name of the kingdoms. Duty over honor.

"You're as stubborn as your father and just as honorable."

Snow would think that was praise.

"I can imagine no higher praise."

"I didn't mean it as praise," Stannis snapped. "Honor got your father killed. It may well likely get you killed."

"If I may Your Grace, we need to talk about your army staying here," Jon snow switched the subject and Stannis's legendary ability to carry a grudge flashed.

"Are you bored of us already?" Stannis demanded but was soon deflated by Jon Snow's perplexed face. He calmed down.

"You saved us from Mance Rayder's army. We will never forget that. But there's an issue of survival. We cannot continue to feed you, the wildling prisoners, and our own men," Jon Snow said, tapping his finger on his desk. "I'm sending the Night's Watch into debt in order to pay for food and animals to come to the Wall. We have enough food for maybe a year, but we need _more._ And winter is coming. _"_

That damned Stark saying. But winter was coming. There was no doubt about that. Soon, they would have to march on Winterfell. Or die in the attempt.

"I know it. We march on Winterfell within a fortnight, before the snows start to fall."

"And what of the wildling prisoners? They're useless to you. They won't fight for you," Jon Snow started off hesitantly before going full-sail ahead.

"They're on Night's Watch land, land that _you_ refuse to give me so I can settle them. But they'd rather burn than follow me, so I don't know what to do with them. Executing and burning their bodies is probably the safest course," Stannis surmised. "I still need more men for my army, but the wildlings aren't going to fight for me."

"Your Grace...if I may…" and then the Lord Commander looked at Olly. "Olly, leave us. This is for the king and me."

Olly gasped in surprise, but Ser Davos was gesturing for the boy to leave. "Ser Davos. Leave us as well."

Ser Davos lead Olly out of the room and Stannis was left alone with Jon Snow. _So what is it, Lord Snow? What is going on in that mind of yours?_

"I know where you can get more men," the Lord Commander then looked for a map of Westeros, finally locating it. He brought it to the table, before unrolling it. "Near the Bay of Ice, in the mountains and the foothills, are the mountain clans. At least forty, if my memory is correct. Big and small, but together they can field some two to three thousand men."

" _Two to three thousand men?_ That would double my army and put me on more even ground with Bolton," Stannis said, incredulous at this turn of events. But there is always a catch. He looked where the Bay of Ice was, where Bear Island was a but a few miles away. "There are no roads. No towns or castles."

"There are no roads here, just goat paths. They live in villages and small dwellings. Their champions fight with two handed axes, while the common folk fight with slings and staffs made of mountain ash. They are fierce fighters, who have been raided by the ironborn and the free folk since we settled this land."

"How do I win them to my cause?"

"Ask them. They have no love for southerners, but they haven't had a king in their halls since Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror. Ask them and they will fight for you. They have no love for the Boltons and my father always talked about how loyal they were to House Stark," Jon Snow told him. "They will want to avenge my father and brother's deaths."

"So why tell me this Lord Snow? You prattle about oaths and being a sworn brother of the Night's Watch in one sentence, yet speak of vengeance in the next sentence. You spurn my offer of legitimization so that _you_ can keep true to your vows, yet single handly will double my army if these mountain clans follow me," Stannis gritted his teeth once more. This Jon Snow was a vexing man. "Should I get you to swore beneath a heart tree that you're truly Ned Stark's son?"

"Your Grace, I do not know what you speak of when it comes to this so-called vengeance. I am only doing my duty as a man of the Night's Watch in guarding the realms of men," Jon Snow said plainly. "I have to attend to my duties Your Grace, if I may beg to take your leave."

 _You are much smarter than you look Lord Snow._

"You have it," Stannis granted. But before he left, he looked back at the young Lord Commander. To give him a warning. "You have many enemies in Castle Black Lord Snow. Have you considered sending Ser Alliser Thorne away? Give him command of Eastwatch by the Sea."

"I thought it was wiser to keep your enemies close," Jon Snow replied, clearly confused.

"Whoever said that didn't have many enemies," Stannis says with a finality, before leaving the Lord Commander's quarters. "Keep a close eye on him and Lord Janos. They are plotting."

Ser Davos was waiting for him, talking with Olly about something. The young man had a hatred for the wildlings, Stannis saw. It was not unwarranted. He had heard that the boy's village had been attacked by wildlings on their way to Castle Black, the Thenns eating his father and mother.

 _Anybody would hate the wildlings after that._

"Remember lad, hate can lead you to do stupid things," Ser Davos said to him with a finality. "Don't let hate overrule your judgment."

 _Wise words from a wise man._ While Ser Davos believed himself to be a less capable man because of his birth, Stannis knew him to be the ablest man in his service. It was why he was his Hand. _A fingerless Hand._

"Gather the captains, lords, and knights, Ser Davos," Stannis commanded. "We will be making preparations."

"To march on Winterfell, Your Grace?" Ser Davos asked.

"To make a short detour. Tomorrow you are going to be departing to White Harbor to speak with Lord Too-Fat-To-Sit-On-A-Horse and try to win his allegiance," Stannis said and the man guffawed. "I will be leaving with the Princess Shireen in a sennight to treat with Lady Lyanna Mormont and the mountain clans near the Bay of Ice."

"Your Grace...a much better man, a man of a higher station can speak with Lord Manderly. I'm just an up jumped smuggler-"

Stannis cut him off. "You're the Hand of the King and my most trusted subordinate. You're an anointed knight as well. You will go to White Harbor and you will try and win that man's fealty."

"As you command, Your Grace."

 _Good._ "See to your son, Ser Davos, for it will be the last you see of him for a while. Devan will be accompanying us to Bear Island."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

Ser Davos left, leaving Stannis to brood, as usual. _Lyanna Mormont, named after the woman Robert loved. Proves to be just as willful, if the stories Robert ever told were true._ He would have to convince her to support his claim.

 _Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark._ He didn't have a Stark. But he had his claim and his words. His actions and deeds.

 _That will have to convince her._

Doubts still trailed him as he went to meet with his captains.

* * *

 **AN:** komninosmichaelides: We'll be seeing Suggs and Massey more next chapter. Deepwood Motte will be featured and it will be from Asha's viewpoint. And yes the last sentence was a reference.

doctor anthony: Thank you!


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